BEIJING - The number of China's patent operations stood at more than 170,000 in 2016, a year-on-year increase of nearly 20 percent, according to the latest data from the Patent Information Annual Conference of China 2017 held in Beijing from Sept 5 to 6.

Patent operations include patent transfer, license and pledge.

Intellectual property (IP) is playing an increasingly important role in China's exchange with other countries in fields like economy, trade, science and technology, and culture, Shen Changyu, head of the State Intellectual Property Office, said at the opening ceremony.

"China will continue to boost international IP cooperation and facilitate the building of an inclusive, balanced and efficient international IP standard," Shen said.

From establishing its IP system in 1980s, China has become the country that has filed the most patent applications, said Yoshiyuki Takagi, assistant director general of the World Intellectual Property Organization.